Women of Faith is just days away
Someone always asks me a question that’s easy to answer about this time of year: Why are all these women — thousands — crowding into the Ford Center?
It’s because Women of Faith 2009 is here … just days away, in fact.
With the theme “A Grand New Day,” the conference will be Friday and Saturday at the Ford Center, 100 W Reno.
Judging from years past, there will indeed be thousands of women flocking to downtown Oklahoma City come Friday.
Women of Faith’s core presenters include Oklahoma native and contemporary Christian recording artist Sandi Patty (at right), Marilyn Meburg, Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont and Luci Swindoll. Lisa Whelchel (pictured below), star of NBC TV’s’1970’s-80’s sitcom “The Facts of Life,” will be one of the guest presenters.
Women from all over Oklahoma and some other states in the region are expected to attend the two-day conference.
See you there …
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
The end of the world?
ark Hitchcock, author of the new book “2012: The Bible and the End of the World.”Ministry asks for new movie ratings guidelines
MovieGuide is circulating a petition asking Americans to urge the Motion Picture Association of America to drop its rating system in favor of a new “Code of Decency.”
MovieGuide is an online movie guide to films with moral and family friendly content. It is a ministry of the Christian Film & Television Commission ministry.
Ted Baehr, the ministry’s chairman, said the Motion Picture Association of America’s current ratings system has failed.
“The MPAA’s rating system never worked really well, but it has gotten much worse since it added the ambiguous PG-13 rating,” Baehr said in a news release today.
“Parents, especially mothers, can no longer trust the ratings for movies, especialy in light of the PG-13 ratings for movies like ‘The Love Guru’ and ‘Land of the Lost,’ and the R ratings for pornographic movies like ’Bruno.’”
Baehr said the trouble with the MPAA ratings is that they are not based on standards.
He said he plans to send the signed petitions to the Federal Trade Commission.
“This is not true of the Code of Decency so it is clear that the entertainment industry must return to the kind of system it had during the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ and the ‘Golden Age of Television’ when it was a wonderful life in America because Mr. Smith went to Washington, Ricky still loved Lucy and the Bells of St. Mary’s rang across the land.”
Readers, what do you think of the current movie rating system? Does it work for you?
Do you think Ted Baehr is right and we need a system based on a “Code of Decency.”
Interested in the MovieGuide petition? Find out more about it by going to www.movieguide.org.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
New product worth watching
There’s a new product coming out later this month that is worth watching.
There’s a pun there … wait for it.
I’m talking about Shades of Glory sunglasses.
A wire story distributed by the Religion News Service reports that Birmingham, Ala. man and his brother Terry, created the sunglasses that say “I love Jesus” on the sides and “John 3:16 on the lens, with a cross above the bridge of the nose.
According to the story, the Singleterry brothers came up with the idea for the sunglasses after they were laid off last October after working for years in in a warehouse for furniture distributors.
The RNS reports that the sunglasses sell for $12 and may be available in Christian bookstores by the end of this month.
How’s that for a little lighthearted news on a glorious Saturday?
Get out and enjoy the sunshine today.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Church of Scotland channels LifeChurch.tv
The Religion News Service just sent out a brief article saying that the Church of Scotland is considering ”virtual ministers” to stem a shortage of full-time clergy.
Upon reading the full story, it sounds like the church is taking an idea that Edmond-based LifeChurch.tv has been using to maximum effect for years.
The news service reports that the Church of Scotland wants to use virtual ministers who would preach over a live video link to congregations that do not have a permanent minister.
“Preaching by live video link to vacant congregations is one of many radical changes being proposed by the Ministries Council,” Gordon Bell, media relations officer with the Church of Scotland, told Ecumenical News International.
He said the report to the Presbyterian church’s May 21-27 General Assembly suggests the Kirk, as the Church of Scotland is known locally, should consider the use of video technology in churches which struggle to attract full-time ministers.
The Orkney presbytery, which has 21 congregations spread over more than 10 islands, will be used to test the program by linking four congregations in the archipelago with technology similar to video conferencing.
There are presently an estimated 190 full-time vacancies for clergy across Scotland, which has a population of 5.1 million, the RNS reports.
If successful, church officials say a number of congregations in some of the most remote parts of Scotland would be able to take part in the same service.
Meanwhile, at LifeChurch.tv campuses, whether they be in Oklahoma or beyond (Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Florida and New York), people attend worship experiences with Craig Groeschel (pictured above), senior pastor, or one of the church’s teaching pastors, delivering the sermon via satellite. Groeschel typically delivers the message live at one of the church sites and this is beamed via satellite. They’ve been doing it for years.
Is this an idea whose time has come? Will we see more ministries doing the same?
If so, Oklahoma is well ahead of the game.
(PHOTO by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman: Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, sits in the sanctuary of the LifeChurch.tv headquarter campus at Interstate 35 and Second Street in Edmond in this 2005 photograph.)
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Max Lucado book giveaway
Fans of popular inspirational author Max Lucado are in luck.
His newest book “His Name is Jesus” is part of a giveaway initiative by publisher Thomas Nelson.
The book contains his writings on Jesus along with color art images that go hand in hand with the theme.
Daily drawings are being held through Friday for free autographed copies of the book.
To sign up for a chance to win a free book, click here: http://www.tngiftbooks.com/his-name-is-jesus.html
I had a chance to hear Lucado speak at a Religion News Writers Association conference several years ago in San Antonio, Texas, where he pastors a church. And of course, Lucado spoke at the 10th anniversary commemoration of the Oklahoma City bombing in 2005.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
New Web site discusses “Angels & Demons”
Westminster Theological Seminary has launched a new Web site seeking to provide answers to the religious questions in the new movie “Angels & Demons.”
The new site is www.TruthAboutAngelsAndDemons.com.
“Just as academic institutions and other groups are using the momentum of ‘Angels & Demons’ and the scientific issues it highlights to provoke discussion, Westminster Theological Seminary stands strong and is committed to educating individuals about spiritual and historical truths, in addition to science, as it relates to the book and film,” Vern Poythress, professor of New Testament interpretation at Westminster and an expert on the intersection of science and religion, said in a news release.
Many universities around the nation and overseas are launching discussions to address the truth behind the scientific claims central to the suspense in the book and film.
Westminster launched the new Web site on May 13, hoping to help people ”sift through the mix of fact and fiction woven into the novel and film and encourage conversation,” leaders said.
The site contains articles on issues related to religion and science and seeks to provide answers to such questions as: “Is the Bible true?” “Can science answer the ultimate questions?” and “Is there evidence that God created the Earth?”
“Angels & Demons” premiered May 15 and is based on a novel by Dan Brown.
In 2006, Westminster launched a similar online response to l”The Da Vinci Code,” another novel-turned-movie by Brown.
“Westminster commends the scientific community for its strong response and conversation surrounding the film and joins in the pursuit of truth,” Peter Lillback, president of Westminster, said in a statement.
”We hope our site is a catalyst for people of faith to be better equipped to engage in spiritual conversation generated by this significant media and cultural event.”
Westminster Theological Seminary has campuses in Philadelphia, Dallas, New York and London.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Tulsa preparing for televangelist’s visit
An estimated 12,000 people are expected to converge on downtown Tulsa Thursday to see televangelist Joyce Meyer.
Joyce Meyer Ministries is hosting ministry sessions Thursday through Saturday at the BOK Center. 
The attendance estimates come from a BOK advisory noting that there will be increased traffic in the downtown area later this week.
“The crowds expected for this event will increase the amount of traffic arriving in downtown Tulsa throughout the three days. Commuters should be ready and allow more time for their drive,” the advisory said.
Meyer, who conducts about 15 conferences a year, can be seen and heard on her “Enjoying Everyday Life” television and radio programs.
She visited Oklahoma City as guest speaker at Church of the Harvest’s Momentum Conference in 2006. In October 2005 she conducted a three-day conference at the Ford Center — her first in Oklahoma City.
Doors at the BOK Center open at 5 p.m. Thursday, and the opening ministry session is set for 7 p.m. Doors open at 8 a.m. Friday for the 10 a.m. session and 5 p.m. for the 7 p.m. session. Saturday, doors open at 8 a.m. for the 10 a.m. session.
The BOK advisory said the following lots and parking garages will be available: Old City Hall Parking Lot, B&B, Central North Garage, 100 West Garage, Doubletree parking garage, the flat lot at Third Street and Denver and all meters for street 
parking.
For a parking map, go online to the Joyce Meyer Ministries event page on the BOK Center Web site.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Gospel American Idol
I’ve been a fan of the reality show “American Idol” for a while now, though I don’t get to see it as often as I used to.
I thought Gospel music fans might be interested to know that a new documentary special called “From Idol to Inspiration” is scheduled to air on the Gospel Music Channel at 6 p.m. (Central) Thursday, right before the 40th Annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards.
The documentary is a production of David Lewis Productions and will explore how “American Idol” exposed the world to Gospel/Christian performers and contestants who flourished on the show. Some of those contestants with Gospel/Christian music backgrounds have included Jordin Sparks, Mandisa (pictured above), Phil Stacey (pictured below), George Huff, Chris Sligh, Jennifer Hudson, Melinda Doolittle and others.
Some of those performers share their stories along with several journalists who cover the program. 
“God has full control over everything and things happen for a reason so I lived that very much so during ‘American Idol’ … just knowing ‘OK, if I’m here another week, there’s got to be a reason because I am scared out of my mind!,’” Doolittle said.
” I hope Jesus was dancing when I was singing on ‘American Idol’”
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Much ado about crowns and the (Miss USA) crownless
I have to admit that I’ve been intrigued by the furor over Miss California USA’s comments during Sunday’s Miss USA pageant.
Pageant judge Perez Hilton asked Miss California, Carrie Prejean (pictured below), whether she thought other states should follow Vermont’s example in legalizing same-sex marriage. As part of her answer, Prejean said she believes marriage should be between a man and a woman.
Hilton was apparently outraged. After the show, he ranted that Prejean’s answer was divisive and he called her a b—-. According to several reports, he apologized for calling her that name, but then said he meant to describe her in another crude way.
Prejean was featured on NBC’s Today show this morning, where she told host Matt Lauer that she stood by her remarks because they are part of her faith beliefs.
What’s interesting is not only has Hilton lambasted her, but the director of the Miss California Pageant program, Shannon Moakler, has apologized for Prejean’s comments to the Miss USA Pageant program, and reportedly sent out a tweet through Twitter that the contestant’s remarks were exactly why they have judges to help find the person who will represent all people.
The interesting thing to me is that Prejean gave her opinion, not a politically correct one, but her opinion, just the same. Some folks would applaud that.
The other interesting aspect in all this is that the pageant judge felt inclined to call the contestant (who was named runner-up to the winner, Miss North Carolina) a crude name … and then later described her in a more crude manner .
His sense of outrage seemed a bit dramatic given the circumstances as I watched his video tirade shown on the Today show.
What is your opinion about this mini-calamity? Is it much ado about nothing ?
What do you think about the remarks that both Prejean and Hilton have made?
Let me know and let’s get the discussion started.
Oh, and there’s an interesting side note to this. Hilton told Today’s Matt Lauer that Prejean should have known that she might get such a politically stoked question because she is from the state that just voted for Proposition 8. Proposition 8 was a measure banning same-sex marriage and approved by California voters in November 2008 . Hilton said Prejean should have answered in a less divisive manner.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
